Dishwasher appliances generally include a tub that defines a wash chamber. Rack assemblies can be mounted within the wash chamber of the tub for receipt of articles for washing. Spray assemblies within the wash chamber can apply or direct wash fluid towards articles disposed within the rack assemblies in order to clean such articles. Multiple spray assemblies can be provided including e.g., a lower spray arm assembly mounted to the tub at a bottom of the wash chamber, a mid-level spray arm assembly mounted to one of the rack assemblies, and/or an upper spray assembly mounted to the tub at a top of the wash chamber. Other configurations may be used as well.
Some dishwasher appliances further include a fluid circulation system that is in fluid communication with the spray assemblies for circulating fluid to the spray assemblies. The fluid circulation system generally receives fluid from the wash chamber, filters soil from the fluid, and flows the filtered fluid either to the spray assemblies or to a drain. To facilitate the flow of filtered fluid to the spray assemblies and/or drain, a pump is typically included in the fluid circulation system.
However, in some existing dishwasher appliances, one or more portions of the appliance may become undesirably clogged or impeded, as when debris or particles accumulate on a filter. This clogging may hinder performance of the dishwasher appliance. For instance, additional water may be needed to complete certain wash cycles. Moreover, if debris is not adequately removed, it may be redeposited onto items within the dishwasher appliance (e.g., dishes), undercutting cleaning performance of the appliance.
Accordingly, further developments may be desirable for operating dishwasher appliances. Moreover, it would be advantageous if further developments addressed one or more of the above issues.